Tiffany Stephansky
July 2025
Tiffany
Stephansky
,
RN
Emergency Services
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, St. Clare Hospital
Lakewood
,
WA
United States
Without Tiffany remaining calm and organizing the chaos, helping everyone work together as a team, all the patients would not have fared nearly as well.
Yesterday was a terrifying day in the ER. We were incredibly busy, although we were doing well and moving patients as best we could. I was on my way to the waiting room to see a patient when I found Tiffany holding a baby with the mother of the baby next to her, crying and screaming. We later found out that the patient had delivered precipitously in her car in our parking lot.
Tiffany was our charge RN and had walked to the Triage to help with patients when this particular patient walked in the front door of our hospital. It was a gory scene. Tiffany remained calm, looked me straight in the eye, and said, "I need a doctor." We moved quickly. Calling out for the panda warmer, pharmacy, and RT. The other doctor working was immediately called to help as well. We put the patients in a room and started immediate resuscitation of the mother and the baby.
The baby was dried and warmed, suctioned and turned pink, and started crying. It was controlled chaos, and Tiffany took responsibility for helping stabilize both patients and the ER. Within 5 minutes, we were told that a patient with chest pain had an elevated Troponin and an EKG indicative of a STEMI. I left the room of the mother and baby to see the chest pain patient. A code STEMI was called, the patient was immediately roomed and given treatment, as we arranged to transfer them to SJMC.
Again, a room needed to be cleared out as there were none available. Without Tiffany remaining calm and organizing the chaos, helping everyone work together as a team, all the patients would not have fared nearly as well. All patients lived and are well. Mother and baby were swiftly transported to TG/Marybridge, and the STEMI patient had a successful catheterization at SJMC with findings of a 99% occlusion of the LAD.
The day continued in that fashion for the remainder of it. We saw two Codes in progress, as well as multiple other very sick patients. I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that this day felt like something out of a TV show. I am grateful for Tiffany’s leadership, the team I work with, and the lives we are able to affect.
Tiffany was our charge RN and had walked to the Triage to help with patients when this particular patient walked in the front door of our hospital. It was a gory scene. Tiffany remained calm, looked me straight in the eye, and said, "I need a doctor." We moved quickly. Calling out for the panda warmer, pharmacy, and RT. The other doctor working was immediately called to help as well. We put the patients in a room and started immediate resuscitation of the mother and the baby.
The baby was dried and warmed, suctioned and turned pink, and started crying. It was controlled chaos, and Tiffany took responsibility for helping stabilize both patients and the ER. Within 5 minutes, we were told that a patient with chest pain had an elevated Troponin and an EKG indicative of a STEMI. I left the room of the mother and baby to see the chest pain patient. A code STEMI was called, the patient was immediately roomed and given treatment, as we arranged to transfer them to SJMC.
Again, a room needed to be cleared out as there were none available. Without Tiffany remaining calm and organizing the chaos, helping everyone work together as a team, all the patients would not have fared nearly as well. All patients lived and are well. Mother and baby were swiftly transported to TG/Marybridge, and the STEMI patient had a successful catheterization at SJMC with findings of a 99% occlusion of the LAD.
The day continued in that fashion for the remainder of it. We saw two Codes in progress, as well as multiple other very sick patients. I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that this day felt like something out of a TV show. I am grateful for Tiffany’s leadership, the team I work with, and the lives we are able to affect.